Wayfield Primary School, Chatham
Wayfield Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Chatham, part of The Primary First Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2019. That was 7 years ago, so the rating may not reflect the school today. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 15th-highest of the 17 schools in Chatham with published results, and 13,747th of 14,452 across England. It was 87% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Medway (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Wayfield Primary School in detail
Wayfield Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "On behalf of everyone here at Team Wayfield, I would like to welcome you to Wayfield Primary School. I am extremely proud to be the Headteacher of a thriving Apple Distinguished school. As you walk down the corridors, you can almost hear the heartbeat of digital technology connecting the cogs of curious minds."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 56% of Year 6 pupils at Wayfield Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 50% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 72% in Medway and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (57% in reading, 46% in maths).
Getting a place at Wayfield Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 30 families put Wayfield Primary School as their first choice and 73 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Wayfield Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Wayfield Primary School are New Horizons Children's Academy (0.4 miles, Good, 71% reading, 71% maths); Kingfisher Community Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 72% reading, 83% maths); Maundene School (0.7 miles, Good, 63% reading, 73% maths); and Greenvale Primary School (0.8 miles, Good).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Wayfield Primary School.
New Horizons Children's AcademyKingfisher Community Primary SchoolMaundene SchoolGreenvale Primary School
The trust
Wayfield Primary School is one of 11 schools run by The Primary First Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
68 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Wayfield Primary School (as of April 2026): 38% would recommend the school, 49% say their child is happy there and 16% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (49%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (16%).
Who goes there
In 2026, 75 pupils (17.5%) received SEN support and 7 (1.6%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chatham Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Shops (opposite), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Wayfield Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 375 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Medway (250), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Wayfield Primary School issued 20 suspensions, 4.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Wayfield Primary School are Holcombe Grammar School (0.6 miles), The Victory Academy (0.6 miles), PGW Partnership of Greenacre and Walderslade (0.6 miles) and Walderslade School (0.7 miles).
Holcombe Grammar SchoolThe Victory AcademyPGW Partnership of Greenacre and WaldersladeWalderslade School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 10 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The school creates a welcoming environment where young children in early years are happy and settled. Pupils understand the importance of British values like democracy and take pride in their leadership roles. However, these positive elements are overshadowed by serious concerns about safeguarding, teaching quality and pupil achievement that require urgent attention.
Key Strengths
- Children in early years are happy, settled and develop positive relationships with staff
- Pupils understand British values such as democracy and show pride in their leadership roles
- The school offers trips and extra-curricular activities including a residential trip in Year 6
Areas for Improvement
- Safeguarding procedures are not effective - pupils do not feel safe at school and excessive force is sometimes used
- Pupil achievement is well below average in reading, writing and maths, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND
- Disruptive behaviour in lessons is not addressed well enough and behaviour management procedures place pupils at risk
- Teaching of reading and phonics is too variable and pupils do not receive targeted support
- Leadership does not have accurate understanding of school's problems or act with sufficient urgency
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is not effective - leaders have not created an open and positive culture around safeguarding, pupils do not feel safe at school, and significant weaknesses in behaviour management procedures including inappropriate use of physical intervention put pupils at risk of harm.
Extracurricular Activities
Trips to dockyard, residential trip in Year 6, school council, kindness ambassadors
Wayfield Primary School requires special measures and has been rated as needing urgent improvement across most areas. The school is failing to provide an acceptable standard of education, with significant weaknesses in safeguarding, pupil achievement, and behaviour management.
At a Glance
32.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
68 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 56% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 46% to 50% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 77% to 84% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.5
Avg class size
24.8
Infant (KS1)
27.8
KS2
14
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Wayfield Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Wayfield Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Wayfield Primary School is in Medway; for families living there:
Apply to Medway for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 19
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 12 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Medway is 25 (the median across 117 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Wayfield Primary School
Will you get a place at Wayfield Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Wayfield Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Wayfield Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Wayfield Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Medway, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Wayfield Primary School for 2017 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Medway got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
87%
Available places
367 pupils
420 places
53 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Chatham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chatham
Across Medway council
Places available
3,675
Applications
3,130
Got 1st preference
93.9%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Medway council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
75
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
19.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
428
Total Pupils
225
Boys
203
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
23.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,857
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,409
Per pupil
£2319k
Total funding
£208k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.1%
Overall absence
27.0%
Persistent absence
341
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about Wayfield Primary School
What are SATs results like at Wayfield Primary School?
Of the pupils at Wayfield Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 56% reached the expected standard in reading and 50% did so in maths.
What is Wayfield Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Wayfield Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2025, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Wayfield Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Wayfield Primary School is oversubscribed, Medway allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Wayfield Primary School?
Wayfield Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 87% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Wayfield Primary School?
Classes at Wayfield Primary School average 26.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Wayfield Primary School?
Wayfield Primary School has around 428 pupils on roll. 32% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Wayfield Primary School?
8.1% of sessions were missed at Wayfield Primary School in 2024/25. 27% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Wayfield Primary School?
Apply through Medway's coordinated admissions process, naming Wayfield Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Wayfield Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 12 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Medway is 25 (the median across 117 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Wayfield Primary School?
Wayfield Primary School is at Wayfield Road, Chatham, Kent, ME5 0HH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)